Submitted by Danny Ayala Robles
on
Dear Political Science Majors,
The department has added space to several Winter 2026 classes that were previously full. Course links go to MyPlan.
Instructor: Prof. Noga Rotem
Lecture: TTh 10:30am-12:20pm
Field A, Political Theory
Description: Are our bodies political? The grounded materiality of bodies (they live and die; eat and sleep; feel pleasure and pain) suggests that the body is simply natural, not constructed or made. The intimacy with which we experience our bodies suggests that the body is private, not public. Yet, over the last few decades feminist and queer thinkers compellingly argued that our bodies are neither private, nor exactly natural. Instead, they explored the body as a site of political construction, regulation, violence, and correction – in short, a site where power operates, but also as a site of resistance, creativity, and political experimentation. Click here for full description.
Instructor: Prof. Noga Rotem
Lecture: TTh 2:30-4:20pm
Field A, Political Theory
Description: Three major political moments in the last five years revolved around political crowds: the pandemic has deprived us of (and presumably made us miss) the company of other people, in concert halls, marches, sports games, in crowded streets, festivals, movie theaters, etc. The racial justice protests in the summer of 2020 have displayed the great democratic promise of crowds; and the January 6th insurrection brought home the undemocratic and violent potential of crowds. In this selective survey of Modern Political Thought we will try to make sense of these multiple faces of crowds by reading and discussing political thinkers who studied crowds as either a problem to worry about, or as democracy’s greatest asset, or as both. Click here for full description.
Instructor: Prof. Geoffrey Wallace
Lecture: MW 11:30am-12:50pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Credits: 5
Field C, International Relations
International Security Option Elective
Human Rights Minor Broader Context Course
Description: International organizations (IOs), such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the International Criminal Court, and the World Health Organization, have become increasingly prominent across a wide range of domains in world affairs. Though states are sovereign actors in the international system, they often choose to surrender some of their authority to these international institutions. Why do IOs exist in the first place? Why do states create and join IOs? What are the ways in which IOs can influence interests and outcomes in the international and domestic arenas? Click here for full description.
Instructor: Kayla Morton
Lecture: Asynchronous
Field C, International Relations
Political Economy Option Advanced Course
Description: How do governments respond to environmental issues? This course explores the politics of environmental problems that cross national borders, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. We will examine how states, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations address environmental challenges through cooperation and negotiation. This class will use basic international relations (IR) and political economy concepts and frameworks to think about environmental problems. Students with interests in international relations, environmental studies, or global justice will find opportunities to deepen their understanding of how power and policy intersect in shaping the future of the planet. Students will learn about different types of environmental challenges, global governance structures, and policy tools, including international treaties, market-based solutions, and grassroots activism. The course also examines how history, economics, and global inequalities shape environmental politics, with attention to power imbalances between the Global North and South. Case studies and real-world examples will help students connect theory to practice and develop justice-centered perspectives on current and future environmental governance.